Urban and Regional Studies
The program in Urban and Regional Studies (URST) provides opportunities for in-depth study of some of the major challenges facing individuals and groups living and working in major metropolitan regions such as Detroit.
These challenges include economic development; urban poverty and income inequality; preserving and promoting culture, architecture and art; land use conflicts; and the provision of adequate and sustainable transportation and housing services. The focus of the URST program is to provide you with the knowledge, techniques and critical analytical skills that will enable you to effectively participate in changing your city and region.
The URST program is interdisciplinary by design, meaning that courses draw upon a variety of traditional academic disciplines – e.g. Anthropology, Economics, English, Geography, History and Sociology. Students are encouraged to rigorously and creatively integrate the theory and methods learned in these courses. In addition, a unique feature of the program is that students gain hands-on experience by working in the community through internship, academic service learning and/or community-based research.
Pursuing a degree in Urban and Regional Studies at UM-Dearborn offers you the opportunity to combine real-world practice and theory. Students can specialize in areas such as urban and regional policy, community development, urban design and the environment.
Help change the world (or your corner of it) by pursuing a degree in Urban and Regional Studies at UM-Dearborn!
In addition to the major requirements, students must complete all CASL Degree Requirements.
The Major
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| URS 300 | Urban and Regional Studies | 3 |
| Select 12 credit hours in one of the three concentration tracks (see below for choices) | 12 | |
| Select 12 credit hours from the other two concentration tracks | 12 | |
| Select 6 credit hours of academic-based community research satisfied through any combination of the following: | 6 | |
| Urban Regional Stud Internship 1 | ||
or URS 301 | SiD--Field Internship | |
Independent Study 2 | ||
Designated approved 300/400, 3000/4000 level academic service learning (ASL) courses 3 | ||
| URS 450 | Senior Capstone in Community Research | 3 |
| Portfolio - approval required by the Urban and Regional Studies Program Advisor | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
- 1
Students may elect to participate in any CASL Internship program with approval from their URST faculty advisor by Petition and the Internship Program Director.
- 2
3 credits of which can also be used to satisfy the credit requirements in a single track, with the approval of the URST program faculty director by Petition.
- 3
For the list of ASL courses for each semester, see Civic Engagement http://umdearborn.edu/asl/.
Concentration Tracks
Must declare one of the following concentration tracks:
Concentration Track I: Urban Problems and Policy (CAUP)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 305 | Economic Statistics | 3 |
| ECON/AAAS/WGST 325 | Economics of Pov and Discrm | 3 |
| ECON 482 | Regional Economics | 3 |
| ECON 483 | Urban Economics | 3 |
| POL 313 | American State Government | 3 |
| POL 322 | Michigan Government, Politics, & Public Policy | 3 |
| POL/CRJ 323 | Urban Politics | 3 |
| POL 334 | Organizing and Leadership | 3 |
| POL 360 | American Policy Process | 3 |
| POL 4605 | Science, Tech & Pub Policy | 3 |
| POL 466 | Politics&Policies Soc Welfare | 3 |
| POL/ENST 467 | Food Politics and Policy | 3 |
| POL 484 | Revitalizing Cities | 4 |
| POL 489 | Seminar in Urban Politics | 3 |
| SOC/CRJ 350 | Poverty and Inequality | 3 |
| SOC/AAAS/CRJ 403 | Race, Ethnicity and Immigration | 3 |
| SOC/CRJ/HHS 410 | Quantitative Research and Statistics | 4 |
| SOC 413 | Qualitative Research | 4 |
| SOC/CRJ 435 | Urban Sociology | 3 |
| SOC/AAAS/CRJ 473 | Race, Crime and Justice | 3 |
Concentration Track II: Community Development, Culture, History (CAUC)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AAAS/HIST 368 | African American History II: 1865-Present | 4 |
| AAAS/ENGL 389 | Odyssey of Black Men in Amer | 3 |
| AMST 300/COMM 306/ENGL 306/HIST 3602/SOC 306 | Comparat. American Identities | 3 |
| ANTH 376 | Power & Privilege in Southeast Michigan | 4 |
| ANTH 410 | Archaeological Field School and Lab Methods | 4 |
| ANTH/CRJ/WGST 455 | Immigrant Cultures and Gender | 3 |
| ARTH 426 | Ancient Urbanism | 4 |
| COML/HUM 355 | Urban Voices: France and Italy | 3 |
| ENGL/HUM 356 | Reading Urban Monstrosity | 3 |
| ECON/HIST 361 | U S Economic History | 3 |
| HIST 3380 | The European City | 4 |
| HIST 3601 | Michigan History | 4 |
| HIST 3665 | Automobile in American Life | 4 |
| HIST/STS 3695 | American City | 4 |
| HIST/STS 383 | Labor in America | 3 |
| HIST 3672/AAST 3151 | Public History in Arab Detroit | 4 |
| SOC/AAAS/HIST/HUM 304 | Studies in Det.Hist. & Culture | 3 |
| SOC/CRJ 423 | American Social Classes | 3 |
| SOC/AAAS 449 | Race, Ethnicity and Family | 3 |
| SOC 458 | Education, Inequality and Equity | 3 |
| URS 360 | SiD--20th Cent Detroit History | 3 |
Concentration Track III: Environment, Design and Space (CAUE)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARTH 365 | Modern Architecture | 4 |
| ARTH 375 | Urban Design Perspectives | 4 |
| ESCI/GEOG/GEOL 305 | Intro to GIS | 4 |
| ENST/STS 301 | Concepts of Environmentalism | 3 |
| ENST/POL/STS 325 | Environmental Politics | 3 |
| ENST/ESCI 330 | Land Use Planning and Mgmt | 4 |
| ENST/GEOL 340 | Remote Sensing | 4 |
| ENST 456 | Ecological Economics | 3 |
| ENST 491C | Sustainable Cities | 3 |
| ESCI 490B | Sustainable Cities | 3 |
| GEOG/ENST 300/STS 308 | Urban Geography | 4 |
| GEOG/ENST 310/STS 309 | Economic Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 325 | Global Cities | 3 |
| HIST/STS 374 | History of Industrial Technlgy | 3 |
Cognates
Six credit hours of upper-level (300/400; 3000/4000 level, excluding internships, co-ops and MATH 385, MATH 386, MATH 387) coursework in a single discipline, in addition to any courses already elected in that discipline used to satisfy urban and regional studies requirements. Cognate courses will provide supporting skills or contexts for the study of urban issues.
Notes:
- At least 18 of the 36 upper level credit hours required in the major must be elected at UM-Dearborn.
- In satisfying the academic based community research requirement, students must obtain approval of the URST faculty program advisor for internships, independent study, and “other” approved forms of academic service learning, prior to enrolling in the courses. Courses already designated as academic service learning (ASL, 300/400; 3000/4000 level only) do not require approval. ASL courses vary by semester.
Minor or Integrative Studies Concentration Requirements
The minor/concentration requires 15 credit hours of upper-level coursework including URS 300 and at least one course from each of the three tracks below.
Track I: Urban Problems and Policy: Course attribute CAUP
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 305 | Economic Statistics | 3 |
| ECON/AAAS/WGST 325 | Economics of Pov and Discrm | 3 |
| ECON 482 | Regional Economics | 3 |
| ECON 483 | Urban Economics | 3 |
| POL 313 | American State Government | 3 |
| POL 322 | Michigan Government, Politics, & Public Policy | 3 |
| POL/CRJ 323 | Urban Politics | 3 |
| POL 334 | Organizing and Leadership | 3 |
| POL 360 | American Policy Process | 3 |
| POL 4605 | Science, Tech & Pub Policy | 3 |
| POL 466 | Politics&Policies Soc Welfare | 3 |
| POL/ENST 467 | Food Politics and Policy | 3 |
| POL 484 | Revitalizing Cities | 3 |
| POL 489 | Seminar in Urban Politics | 3 |
| SOC/CRJ 350 | Poverty and Inequality | 3 |
| SOC/AAAS/CRJ 403 | Race, Ethnicity and Immigration | 3 |
| SOC/CRJ/HHS 410 | Quantitative Research and Statistics | 4 |
| SOC 413 | Qualitative Research | 3 |
| SOC/CRJ 435 | Urban Sociology | 3 |
| SOC/AAAS/CRJ 473 | Race, Crime and Justice | 3 |
Track II: Community Development, Culture, and History: Course attribute CAUC
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AAAS/HIST 368 | African American History II: 1865-Present | 4 |
| AAAS/ENGL 389 | Odyssey of Black Men in Amer | 3 |
| AMST 300/COMM 306/ENGL 306/HIST 3602/SOC 306 | Comparat. American Identities | 3 |
| ANTH 376 | Power & Privilege in Southeast Michigan | 4 |
| ANTH 410 | Archaeological Field School and Lab Methods | 4 |
| ANTH/CRJ/WGST 455 | Immigrant Cultures and Gender | 3 |
| ARTH 426 | Ancient Urbanism | 4 |
| COML/HUM 355 | Urban Voices: France and Italy | 3 |
| ENGL/HUM 356 | Reading Urban Monstrosity | 3 |
| ECON/HIST 361 | U S Economic History | 3 |
| HIST 3380 | The European City | 4 |
| HIST 3601 | Michigan History | 4 |
| HIST 3665 | Automobile in American Life | 4 |
| AAST 3151 | Public History in Arab Detroit | 4 |
| HIST 3672 | Public History in Arab Detroit | 4 |
| HIST/STS 3695 | American City | 4 |
| HIST/STS 383 | Labor in America | 3 |
| SOC/AAAS/HIST/HUM 304 | Studies in Det.Hist. & Culture | 3 |
| SOC/CRJ 423 | American Social Classes | 3 |
| SOC/AAAS 449 | Race, Ethnicity and Family | 3 |
| SOC 458 | Education, Inequality and Equity | 3 |
| URS 360 | SiD--20th Cent Detroit History | 3 |
Track III: Environment, Design, and Space: Course attribute CAUE
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARTH 365 | Modern Architecture | 4 |
| ARTH 375 | Urban Design Perspectives | 4 |
| ESCI/GEOG/GEOL 305 | Intro to GIS | 4 |
| ENST/STS 301 | Concepts of Environmentalism | 3 |
| ENST/POL/STS 325 | Environmental Politics | 3 |
| ENST/ESCI 330 | Land Use Planning and Mgmt | 4 |
| ENST/GEOL 340 | Remote Sensing | 4 |
| ENST 456 | Ecological Economics | 3 |
| GEOG/ENST 300/STS 308 | Urban Geography | 4 |
| GEOG/ENST 310/STS 309 | Economic Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 325 | Global Cities | 3 |
| HIST 374 | History of Industrial Technlgy | 3 |
- A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for the minor/concentration. The GPA is based on all coursework required within the minor (excluding prerequisites).
- A minimum of 9 credits must be completed at UM-Dearborn for a 12 credit minor/concentration.
- A minimum of 12 credits must be completed at UM-Dearborn for a 15 or more credit minor/concentration.
- Courses within a minor/concentration cannot be taken as Pass/Fail (P/F).
- Only 3 credit hours of independent study or internship may be used to fulfill the requirements for a 12 credit hour minor/concentration. Only 6 credit hours of such credit may be used in a 15 or more credit hour minor/concentration.
- Minors requiring 12 credits may share one course with a major. Minors requiring 15 credits or more may share two courses with a major. This does not apply to concentrations for the Integrative Studies major.
Learning Goals
- Describe the distinctive social, cultural, and spatial features of cities and illustrate their impacts on the urban experience. Explain how the concept or meaning of a city varies in different historical and comparative contexts.
- Explain the major processes of urbanization and features of urban life associated with contemporary Detroit.
- Articulate the basic research questions and agendas associated with a particular discipline contributing to our understanding of urban issues.
- Apply concepts or methods from more than one social science or adjacent discipline to analyze an urban issue or problem.
- Articulate a well-defined research question, conduct independent research using primary sources and a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches, and write a substantive research paper.
- Explain the processes and goals of community-based participation in the development of programs and policies that contribute to the social, economic, political, and environmental improvement of their communities and cities.
- Apply their understanding of urban issues to the development and critical analysis of programs and policies appropriate to addressing contemporary social and economic problems.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the history and variety of urban forms and governance structures.
- Identify and utilize appropriate primary data, including census materials, for the analysis of urban issues.
- Apply basic skills of empirical reasoning to an urban program or problem.
- Explain the impact of the natural environment and the built environment on patterns of urban growth, development and forms of social interaction.
- Articulate an analysis of the implications of urbanization and urban policy in the context of social justice and sustainable environmental practices.
- Communicate ideas effectively in written or oral form.
- Explain and interpret information contained in maps.
- Collaborate on research projects and presentations.
URS 300 Urban and Regional Studies 4 Credit Hours
In this course we will explore the field of urban and regional studies. The scope of readings is inter-disciplinary, spanning the environmental, aesthetic, social, economic, geographic, historical, political and cultural aspects of cities, suburbs and regions. The interrelationship between the spatial organization of a city, patterns of social and economic inequality, delivery of services, the relationship between culture and public space, as well as the processes of urban and regional change will all be considered. Problems such as race and class inequality will also be examined. Special attention will be given to issues of relevance in the Detroit metropolitan region (e.g. spatial, economic, cultural, political and social impacts of the loss of manufacturing jobs). Students will be introduced to methods of social scientific analysis and will begin to apply those methods to researching urban and regional community groups, enterprises and social movements. (YR).
URS 301 SiD--Field Internship 3 Credit Hours
Full Course Title: Semester in Detroit: Field Internship This course serves as a field internship course for the Semester in Detroit (SiD) program. Students in this course work for 200 hours in an internship with a community-based organization in Detroit over 12 weeks (average of 16 hours per week). They also participate in an internship reflection seminar (co-requisite). Students must apply to, and be accepted by, UM-Ann Arbor's in Detroit program to enroll in this course. (F,W,S)
Corequisite(s): SSCI 302
URS 302 SiD--Intern Seminar 2 Credit Hours
This course serves as a core course for the Semester in Detroit (SiD) program. The primary purpose of this class is to provide a supportive, yet challenging learning space for reflecting on your Detroit internship experiences this semester. There are three main sources of material for this class: you, the internship, and Detroit. While, in theory, each is distinct, in practice, all three are intertwined and interact and affect one another. Your challenge will be learning to see more clearly the interactions among these domains. Students must apply to, and be accepted by, UM-Ann Arbor's Semester in Detroit program to enroll in this course.
URS 360 SiD--20th Cent Detroit History 3 Credit Hours
This course serves as the core course for the Semester in Detroit (SiD) program. It examines the transformation of Detroit from the late 19th, through the 20th and into the 21st Centuries. Our goal is to identify the main forces and patterns of change in Detroit's past that have shaped the contemporary city you encounter today. Thus, the course is organized chronologically, but we will be exploring the city's history alongside consideration of contemporary social issues, challenges, and debates. Course material will include a range of readings, films, and excursions. Through discussion of this material and in written assignments, the course encourages you to develop your own interpretation of the circumstances, challenges and opportunities currently facing the city. Students must apply to, and be accepted by, UM-Ann Arbor's Semester in Detroit program to enroll in this course. (F,W,S)
URS 380 SiD - Theory and Practice of Visionary Organizing 3 Credit Hours
What is the concept of Visionary Organizing? Where did it come from, and how is it related to Detroit’s rich history of Black radical politics and community building? What role does it play in current grassroots activism, organizations, and community-media in Detroit? These are some of the guiding questions for this course. Taking the lives, activism, and intellectual work of James and Grace Lee Boggs as the starting point, the course will guide students through a multifaceted examination of historical and contemporary expressions of radical activism in Detroit. Beginning with the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s and ending with contemporary movements, groups, and organizers, we will explore how thinkers and activists during the last half century have theorized, organized, and created the conditions to bring new visions of a just city into being. Students will learn about and have the opportunity to interact with contemporary expressions of visionary organizing such as Feedom Freedom Growers, Birwood House, Riverwise magazine, Visionary Organizing Lab, Sweetwater Foundation, and the James and Grace Lee Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership. This course serves as an elective course for the Semester in Detroit (SiD) program. (F, W, S).
URS 390 Topics Urban&Regional Studies 1 to 3 Credit Hours
Problems and issues in selected areas of urban and regional studies studies. Title as listed in Schedule of Classes changes according to content. Course may be repeated for credit when specific topic differs.
URS 450 Senior Capstone in Community Research 3 Credit Hours
The capstone course is a unique exploration of a complex topic in the metropolitan area. The course will guide students in a deep investigation of this topic, including fieldwork in the surrounding community. Directed readings and discussions will provide theoretical background, and students will develop their own research papers in relation to this theme. The goals of the course are for students to synthesize and apply learning from previous courses in urban studies, to investigate a compelling research question using appropriate methods, and to prepare for future careers in related fields.
URS 485 Urban Regional Stud Internship 3 to 6 Credit Hours
The internship offers students the opportunity to learn and apply concepts learned in Urban and Regional Studies coursework to real world settings in municipal and regional government offices, non-profit and community organizations, or businesses dedicated to design, development, or data. The student has 8-16 hours of unpaid work per week under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Primarily for junior or senior URS students or other qualified applicants. Up to 6 credits can be used to fulfill the community-based research requirement for urban and regional studies concentrators, with the approval of the URS director.
Prerequisite(s): URS 300
Restriction(s):
Cannot enroll if Class is Freshman
URS 499 Independent Study 3 Credit Hours
Readings, community-based research and analytical assignments in accordance with the needs and interests of the student and approval of the instructor. Students must submit a written proposal of study for approval. In addition, students electing to take this course in partial fulfillment of their community-based research must get approval from the Director of the Urban and Regional Studies program. (F,W,S)